THE NEW CURRICULUM

UT’s Commission of 125, a group of citizens, in 2004 completed a two-year study of the University and made the following observation:

“The success of UT graduates throughout the disciplines indicates that they have received a generally sound education, and on its face, UT’s curriculum would seem to be doing a good job of keeping up with the times. . . . But the Commission believes that while the current system offers students myriad courses of study, it fails to equip undergraduates with a core body of knowledge essential to a well-balanced education. For too many degree plans, the current curriculum resembles little more than a vast à la carte menu.”

The Commission also said that the present core curriculum is outdated and that today’sgraduates require a broader education, particularly in the areas of science, technology, the humanities, global cultures, multicultural perspectives, and leadership.

……..Our students live in a world that has undergone a technological revolution. They live in closer proximity to other nations and cultures. They live in a state and country that are more culturally diverse. And they study in an intellectual world where long-established boundaries between scholarly areas are less distinct. The core curriculum should draw strength from these changes. It should ensure that all of our students, whatever their areas of specialization, graduate with the flexible skills they need to be leaders in our communities.

II.  RECOMMENDATIONS

First, we recommend that all undergraduate students take a specially developed course

in each of their first two years. We call these courses “Signature Courses.”……

Second, we recommend a new approach to the core requirements so that they provide a more coherent and integrated structure for undergraduate education and equip undergraduate students with critical skills. Accordingly, we recommend a new set of requirements to train students in important skills and expose them to experiences that will prepare them for the complex world confronting them.

Beyond knowledge of broad subject areas, our undergraduate students must be proficient in writing, speaking, quantitative reasoning, and independent inquiry. They must understand ethnic and global cultures, and they must have a strong grasp of the principles of leadership and ethics. (In fact, the UT Task Force on Racial Respect and Fairness recommended that the University introduce an undergraduate requirement for a course on diversity.) Some of these skills, such as writing and speaking, will be employed in the Signature Courses. In addition, we recommend a set of skills and experiences that all

undergraduate students must obtain in courses throughout the University, including the core, the major requirements, and electives. These requirements will provide undergraduates with substantial experience in writing, quantitative reasoning, global cultures, multicultural perspectives, ethics and leadership, and independent inquiry. Students will fulfill these requirements by earning “flags” for existing and new courses that have been identified as conveying appropriate skills and experiences. University College, in collaboration with the colleges, will determine which courses qualify for flags. These flags must be earned in residence. Specifically, students must earn flags for:

1. Writing—3 flags (in addition to Rhetoric 306 or equivalent)

2. Quantitative reasoning (statistical fluency, formal logic, quantitative evaluation of

evidence)—1 flag

3. Global cultures—1 flag

4. Multicultural perspectives and diversity—1 flag

5. Ethics and leadership—1 flag

6. Independent inquiry (formulate, analyze, and independently investigate a problem

and present findings)—1 flag

 

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